Devilettes rally, knock off Crusaderettes

PARKERSBURG – Through the course of a season are games that define a team.

Monday night at Parkersburg Catholic was one of those games for Coach Cara Williams' Ravenswood Red Devilettes, even if it wasn't a done deal until the final second ticked off the clock.

Define the 2012-2013 Devilettes as scrappy, resilient, gutsy and cardiac-inducing.

After a dismal first half including 10 turnovers and the inability to put the basketball into the hoop, the Devilettes clawed their way back from 16 points down at the half and 14 down with seven minutes to play with an intense, bruising, nail biting comeback down the stretch to win an improbable 56-53 decision in one of the toughest venues around for visiting teams.

"I wasn't happy at half-time," said Coach Williams, "but I challenged them and they responded. They played hard and much better in the second half. It was intense. I was sweating too."

A 14-8 scoring run helped Ravenswood into position trimming the Crusaderette (44-34) as final eight minutes began. In that surge, Devilette senior Taylor Youell scored nine of her team-high 21 points.

Sophomore Taylor Treadway, who scored almost all of her seven points in the final frantic surge, trimmed the deficit to six at 48-42 with 4:28 with a free throw; and with 3:48 left, sophomore Hailey Miller hit one of two free throws to make it 48-45. The teams exchange buckets in next 1:33.

With 2:15 left, Treadway's driving layup under heavy Crusaderette pressure trimmed the PC lead to just one at 50-49; and Miller's driving layup with gave Ravenswood their first lead at 51-50 with 1:50 left.

Treadway then drained a pair of huge pressure free throws to push the Devilette advantage to 53-50 Ravenswood, before a Crusaderette bucket cut the Devilette advantage back to one at 53-52.

Senior Melonna Carmichael knocked down one of two free throws with 21.1 seconds left for a two-point lead at 54-52.PC's Reily Sturm made one of two free throws with 14.4 seconds left to again trim the Ravenswood lead to just one point at 54-53.

Taylor Youell brushed away tears to can one of two free throws for a 55-53 edge, after a hard, hard foul (ruled intentional) knocked her to her back outside the sideline on the Devilette end of the floor with 0:07 left. Ravenswood also got the ball out on their end and Carmichael was fouled with 0:04 left. She made the second of two free throws for a 56-53 lead.

But Crusaderette senior Leah Hughes got one last ditch chance with three point shot for a tie and overtime from the right baseline extended. Her arching shot clanked off the rim at the buzzer.

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